ALFRED MCCOY AND ALEJANDRO ROCES POLITICAL CARUCATURES OF THE

AMERICAN ERA (PHILIPPINE CARTOON)

Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era, 1900-41

Political Caricatures of the American Era by Alfred W. Mccoy and Alejandro Roces
About the Authors.

Alfred W. McCoy is an American Harrington Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-

Madison. In 2012, Yale University awarded him the Wilbur Cross Medal for work as ‘one of the world's
leading historians of Southeast Asia and an expert on…international political surveillance. He was born
June 8, 1945 in Concord, Massachussets, United State.
Alejandro Reyes Roces (13 July 1924 – 23 May 2011) was a Filipino author, essayist, dramatist and
a National Artist of the Philippines for literature. He served as Secretary of Education from 1962 to 1965,
during the term of Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal. Artist-writer Alfredo Roces, who designed
the book, contributes an essay on Philippine graphic satire of the period.
Philippine cartoon is a compilation of 377 editorial cartoons and caricature made by various Filipino
artists that tackle the situation during the American occupation in the Philippines. Dated from 1900-1941,
each individual caricatures recorded national attitudes toward the coming of Americans as well as the
changing mores and time. Some of the cartoons presented the condition of Filipino farmers on the hands
of American tenants who self-owned the lands of the laborers and imposed unbearable and udjust taxes
on them. The cartoons also compared the job situation of a Filipino and an American by portraying
unequal salaries despite having the same nature of work, which highlighted racial discrimination in terms
of work condition, wages, job opportunities, and career positions. Aside from that, the caricatures also
depicted Americans as controlling and enslaving people by taking over on the insular civil service and
making Filipinos do most the works for their own benefit, paying off authorities for their personal
security, and demanding highest respects from the Filipinos. Growing corruption was shown to be taking
over the political processes in the Philippines. Moreover they exemplified American imperialism as the
primary reason for the war between Muslim and Christian Filipinos in Mindanao. And for other feuds
among Filipino people who should have been supporting one another in fighting Americans to regain
their independence. Mccoy is able to provide a comprehensive background for each caricature to give
readers details of the turbulent period the Filipinos Experience under the hands of Americans.
With the help of Alfredo Roces, Alfred McCoy was able to publish Philippine cartoons as a secondary
source of different caricatures drawn during the said period. These caricatures clarify historical
information and serve as eye-openers to the realities experience by the people under the American
occupation.
POLITICAL CARICATURES OF THE AMERICAN ERA (Philippine Cartoons):
Political Caricatures of the American Era is a book authored by Alfred William McCoy, an
American professor of history and award-winning writer who dedicated his professional career on
the research of Southeast Asian history, especially that of the Philippines, as well as the study of US
Foreign Policy. One of his dissertations tackled the factional conflict in the colonial economy of
Iloilo, Philippines from 1937 to 1955. His interest in Filipino history allowed him to master the
Hiligaynon dialect and understand the political situation, not just of the region of Iloilo, but of the
entire country. Philippine Cartoons is a compilation of 377 editorial cartoons and caricatures made
by various Filipino artists that tackle the situation during the American occupation in the
Philippines. Dated from 1900 to 1941, each individual caricature recorded national attitudes
toward the coming of the Americans as well as the changing mores and times. Some of the cartoons
presented the condition of Filipino farmers on the hands of American tenants who self-owned the
lands of the laborers and imposed unbearable and unjust taxes on them. The cartoons also
compared the job situation of a Filipino and an American by portraying unequal salaries despite
having the same nature of work, which highlighted racial discrimination in terms of work
condition, wages, job opportunities, and career positions. Aside from that, the caricatures also
depicted Americans as controlling and enslaving people by taking over the insular civil service and
making Filipinos do most of the work for their own benefit, paying off authorities for their personal
security, and demanding highest respects from the Filipinos. From here, growing corruption was
shown to be taking over the political processes in the Philippines. Moreover, they exemplified
American imperialism as the primary reason for the war between Muslim and Christian Filipinos
in Mindanao and for other feuds among Filipino people who should have been supporting one
another in fighting Americans to regain their independence. McCoy was able to provide a
comprehensive background for each caricature to give readers details of the turbulent period the
Filipinos have experienced under the hands of the Americans. With the help Alfredo Roces, who
designed the book and contributed an essay on Philippine graphic satire during the American era,
Alfred McCoy was able to publish Philippine Cartoons as a secondary source of different political
caricatures drawn during the said period. These caricatures clarify historical information and serve
as eye-openers to the realities experienced by the people under the American occupation. The book
reflected anti-American sentiments in addition to the condemnation of the ruling class which give
us a glimpse of the Philippine society of the past, visualize its historical politics, and appreciate
the representations of perceptions of the Filipinos of that era. Later, political cartoons like these
would become relevant in presenting the current situation of the country, just like how they served
as primers for engaging the people in the prevailing opinions at that time. Studying the caricatures
of the American period made me see the relevance of discussing political and social issues to the
understanding of the national situation. It also moved me to understand the views and opinions of
others which may differ from what I believe in to create a peaceful discourse which could
lead to the development of social relationships and the betterment of the country.
COMISSION ON INDEPENDENCE, FILIPINO GRIEVANCES AGAINST GOVERNOR WOOD
(PETITION LETTER)

About The Authors:

Jose Abad Santos was born in San Fernando, Pampanga. He was the son of Vicente Abad Santos and
Toribia Basco. He was a Pencionado and studied law in northwestern University in Evanston. Illinois.
After he passed the bar in 1911, he served an assistant attorney at the bureau of justice and later rose to
the rank of attorney general. He was appointed undersecretary of justice in 1921, but gave up the position
at the height of cabinet crisis in 1923. He served as chief legal counsel of the senate President and the
speaker of the house of representative and it was during this time he joined the anti-wood campaign. He
was appointed associate justice of the supreme court in 1932 and became chief justice nine years later. On
December 30, 1941, he administered the oath of office of the president Quezon and vice president
Osmena for their second term. Before Quezon left the country in 1942, he appointed Abad Santos as
acting Presedent of the commonwealth government.
Jorge Bocobo was born in Gerona, tarlac on October 19, 1886. His parents were Tranquinlino Bocobo
and Rita Teodora Tabago. In 1907, he earned his bachelor of law degree from Indiana University under
the pensionado program of colonial government. He started his career as law clerk in the executive
bureau and in 1911, he began teaching in U.P. College of law. In 1917, he was appointed full professor of
law and acting dean of the college.
More than a quarter of century has elapsed since the Philippines came under the American flag – an
emblem freedom, not of subjugation, a symbol of altruism, not of selfishness or greed. American
sovereignty was implanted in our country with the avowed purpose of training in us in the art of self-
government and granting us independence. Our good not her gain was to be Americans aim. Our country
was committed to her in trust to be conserved and developed for the benefits of our people. Believing in
the sincerity of Americas purpose, the Filipinos applied themselves to the task of meeting the condition
exacted of them, anxiously awaiting the day when America would honor her promise.
The first twenty years of civil government were marked by mutual and understanding and loyal
cooperation between American and Filipino. At the end of that period when it seemed that the goal had
finally reached, after the president of United States had advice the Congress that the time had come for
America to fulfill her sacred pledge. Major General Leonard Wood was sent to the Philippines as
governor-general. Cognizant of the part taken by general wood in the liberation of Cuba, the Filipino
people expected that under his administration the spirit of cooperation would be maintained and that the
work of political emancipation would be complete. Contrary, however to our expectation, his conduct of
government has been Characterize by a train of usurpation and arbitrary acts, resulting in the curtailment
of our autonomy, the destruction of our constitutional system and the reversal of Americas Philippine
policy.
 GROUP 6
RODAJE, JOHN CARLO
DANDOY, MICAH ELLA JANE
LAURORA, JAMES BRYAN
VIGILIA, SHENNA MAE